Method and composition for controlling moisture



Patented Aug. 30, 19 32 No Drawing y comp en or NEW annsngfaconrona'noiv ornnw JERSEY I Jamison icomosrrron roa ooivzraonrme iaorsruan 1' an aamam a.

Q My presentinvention relates to a method a for moisture conditioning tobacco and other roducts' to control theaamount of moisture m it so that there is nottoo much or too 1ittle, and the invention also relates to products of theinvention useddor the purpose'setforth; and the method and products of the invention are useful in the arts generally; for v i controlling the amount of moisture in :can-

dies, foodstuffs, celluloid, rubber and'so on.

v More particularly, the present invention re-" latessto theuse of salts which form water of crystallization and which havebeen dehyf drated and then partly hydrated by the addition of water to the drysalt.

The present invention is an improvement on the invention of Foote and Smith in Patent No. 949,701, issued February 15, 1910. In that patent, a salt with'water of crystallization was partly dehydrated b heating and used to balance moisture in to acco and tobacco products held in a closed casing with said partly dehydrated salt, but I find that this material has a very slow control on the moisture both as to giving off moisture to and taking it upfromthe tobacco. I have discovered that sensitive control in both di rections can be secured with bisodium phosphate, Na HPQg, by taking this salt with water of crystallization thereon and completely dehydrating as by heating, care being i taken that the pyro salt is not reached. The

dehydrated salt is'then placed in a closed container with tobacco to be moisture controlled,

with water added to the salt. The water can be added before or after thesalt is put into the container. y l

The dehydrated salt is preferably powderedfafter dehydration to increase its surx 9 1 readily take up byabsorption. The relation.

face area, and the amount of water it can I of the dehydrated salt to the water apparently results in a control on the rate of evaporation of the water held thereby; and this control issuch that spotting of cigarettes does not occur even when the salt carries the maximum amount of Water which it will hold by absorption. At the same time sufficient is given off to the tobacco to keep it moist to the extent required by smokers in the trade.

1930. Serial 451,206. a

r r The salt in the'completely dehydrated state probabl can be best described as having "some a ity for water without forming waterof crystallization therewith to any appreciable extent as faras'subsequently giving 0 and taking up of ineisture to and from the atmosphere isconcerned. Water can be added in excess of the amount that the dehyfl drafted salt will take up and the excess poured ofi aftera minute or so, or a less amount of watermay be suflicient for particular cases. The water and the. dehydrated salt have a cementing action on each other, and I take advantage of thiscondition to make up cakes or blocks from the pulverized dehydrated salt; and I have further discovered that cakes and blocks so m'ade are well suited for the purpose ofthe present invention because, (1) the cake or'block controls the moisture'cond'ition even though its super'fioialarea is apparently decreasedfrom that of the pulverized salt before forming thecake or block, and (2) too much moisture is not given ofi even though'thesalt is ladenwith water to its capacity. 1

As an example of the preparation of a prod not of the invention the following is set forth. NagHPOalQILOis heated between 200 and 300 F. to drivethe water of crystallization therefromto form Na I'IPO with practicaL ly: no waterof crystallization. The salt in this condition is slightly hygroscopic when cooled salt is then-pulverized.- ,Water is then added to excess to a quantity of the material to be used in a articular, tobacco and then excess poured o after'three or :four minutes. Thewater thus added combines in a cement ing action with the salt and will last a long time without replenishing. Or, the pulver- 1 ized salt, with the water added, is, pressed into a cake, with anylexcesswater poured or drained ofi' eitherbeforeor after the forming of the cake; This cakec'anthen be sold and used as a unit readyfor use, preferably with a cover or container around" it tokeep the water from evaporating before it is" put into actual use. And water can be added to it from time totime when required.

For some'purposes, where it isdesired to make the moisture in a cake of the materials of the invention, more readily or quickly available, and also to prepare for a more rapid intake of moisture, I mix with the mate rials described above, a diluting or opening material such as sawdust, cork dust,

sand, borax, talc, or Na HPO;.12H O, in proportions, ranging from about 5% of the dilnting material up to 60%- ormore.

A practical example is equal parts of, N11 HPO 12H O and of N a HPO with water added to cement these materials together and to supply moisture for" humidiztying. The water can be added'before the two'salts are mixed. Such cakes "canbe formed, in either case, before or after the water is added.

The materials of the invention are suitable for use in refrigerators for maintaining propor moisture conditions in foodstuffs generally includingfruits and vegetables and, as above; Set forth, the-materialsof the invention are H suitable generally for maintaining proper moisture conditions in food stufis, includin fruits and vegetables, in candies, in-celluloi I and in rubber and other products, andin the by weight of the completely dehydrate in relative amounts ranging from'about ten parts b weight of the completely dehydrated blso ium phosphate to one part of the hydrated bisodium phosphate to about one Cpart bisodium phosphate to four parts of the hydrated bisodium phosphate, in a pulverized state with Isuflicient water therewith to'bind the particles together.

Slgned at Irv-mgton inthe county of Essex. .7 V

and State of New Je sey this 28th day of April A. D. 1930. V y Y I v I I MORTIMER T. HARVEY.

claims where reference is made to condition-. mg of or a moisture conditioner ,for tobacco and the like it is intendedthatthese other products hereinabove named are covered by the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to tersPatent, is I 1. A moisture conditionin unit for tobacco and the like comprising 'su stantially comprotect by Letpletely dehydrated bisodlum phosphate in a pulverized state with suificient watertherewith to bind the particlesinto a cake. 4

2. A moisture conditioning material" for tobacco and the like which comprises bisodium phosphate which has been heated between dehydration. e i

If. to substantially complete- 3. A moisture conditioning material for tobacco and the like comprising bisodium phosphate which has'been heated between 200 and 300 F. to substantially :complete dehydration, pulverized, and has water mixed therewith. I V

4. In the preparation of salt having water of crystallization for use as a moisture con-V ditioner for tobaccoand the like,

the step which consists inlslibstantially dehydrating said salt, mixing hydrated bisodium pho'sphate therewith,and adding water thereto.

5.- In the preparation of salt having water 1 of crystallization for useas a moisture ,con-

ditioner forxtobacco and the like,

which consists in substantially dehydrating said salt, mixing another product therewith, and adding water thereto. V y 6. moisture conditioning unit for tobacco and the like comprising a mixture of, substantially completely dehydrated bisodium phosphate and hydrated bisodium phosphate, 

